"Toni Erdmann" is a touching and remarkably funny portrait of an offbeat father-daughter relationship. Sandra Huller plays Ines, a highly-strung career woman whose life in corporate Bucharest takes a turn for the bizarre with the arrival of her estranged father Winfried (Peter Simonischek). An incessant practical joker, Winfried attempts to reconnect with Ines by introducing the titular eccentric alter ego to catch her off guard, unaware of how capable she is of rising to the challenge... This breakout German comedy, which has been met with universal critical acclaim, is as humanist as it is absurdist - a film about the importance of celebrating the humour of the everyday.

Members reviews voted most helpful

Painful, and not in a good way.
- Toni Erdmann review by AK

(9) of (10) members found this review helpful.

You rated this film: 1

I had the misfortune to see this in the cinema, assured by a friend that my sides would be aching from laughter one minute, and that I'd be weeping with sadness the next. The only emotion that I felt throughout the whole film (nearly THREE HOURS) was overwhelming boredom. I have never, ever checked my watch in the cinema as often as I have while watching this, regularly thinking, "Surely something funny must happen soon?"

Basically, a middle-aged jerk decides, after his dog dies, to bond with his career-dedicated daughter, something that seems to involve donning a bad wig and false teeth and introducing himself to her colleagues as someone else. Hilarious. For the first hour they are sullen and downright rude to each other, and at times he appears to be stalking her: at one point he lets himself into her flat, walks into her bedroom and hides in her cupboard when he hears her coming -- as one does- from where he spies on her.

In another scene the daughter encourages her "lover" (I use quotation marks as there is no love evident in this relationship, as there is no emotional connection between anyone throughout the whole film) to masturbate onto some petit-fours before she eats one. Yes, it's that kind of funny. As in, it's not. The acting is low-key and monotonous, the cinematography flat and this film drags, drags, drags. Laugh? I didn't even crack a smile for it's entirety, and when it ended I felt liberated from the relentless greyness.

Fans have voiced horror at the proposed US remake. As far as I'm concerned, it can only be better. I understand Bill Murray passed on the lead after "losing" his copy of the DVD of the original. My guess is he watched the first hour and then threw it in the bin.

Won't win everyone over
- Toni Erdmann review by WS

Inevitably a divisive film, it seems to have been more of a critics' than an audience favourite. I can think of a number of reasons why many viewers will find it alienating and unapproachable.

Winfried is an oddball who doesn't readily fit into any stock-character mould. An irrepressible prankster, he lacks the swagger and bombast that you would expect to go with it – he has a sort of sadness and air of permanent defeat about him, and you can't help wondering whether his clowning is just a way of coping with some unknown tragedy or setback he has had in past. His daughter is also rather difficult to read – she comes across as highly-strung yet never fragile or vulnerable, good at coping with pressure but never really letting her guard down even when she’s with her friends.

Structurally, it feels a little messy. There are redundant scenes that fail to advance the plot or give additional depth to the characters, and I believe at least ten minutes could have been trimmed painlessly from the running time (not including the notorious “petit-fours” scene). And as one other reviewer has observed, it is competently shot but not very visually rich – for example, little thought has been put into giving it a consistent palette or “look”, unlike that other recent German hit, The Lives of Others.

It has a political dimension but lacks real political punch – I don’t mean this in a derogatory way, just that it is understated and non-didactic. We learn early on that Ines' assignment is to promote outsourcing at any oil company, implying loss of jobs and worse employment conditions for the workers - but it’s not clear why we should care. We don’t get to meet any ordinary, working-class Romanians until fairly late, then we see one man get fired but that's partly his own fault. One might also expect some incisive comments about workplace gender politics. But despite encountering some fairly mild, non-malevolent sexism, you don’t really get the feeling that Ines is undervalued just for being a woman. Maternity leave, for example, is never raised as an issue (she has no evident aspirations that way). In fact the one power relationship that struck me as particularly iniquitous was between Ines and her Romanian PA, Anca. There was something queasy about the latter's eagerness to please and willingness to follow orders unquestioningly. For instance, when Ines gets blood on her white blouse before a presentation, she gets Anca to swap tops with her, and Anca even apologises that it's not her best one.

The ending is one that can be interpreted it in different ways; it could be seen as either sad or happy depending on what mood you’re in, but either way it doesn’t seem to provide a clear-cut resolution to any of the characters’ life problems.

It is a film about a clash of cultures and world-views, and perhaps articulates a particularly German sense of unease about whether their country can be a force for good internationally. It is about what we are in danger of losing as a society and perhaps have already irretrievably lost. The idealists of the late 60s-early 70’s are sometimes dismissed as wreckers and nihilists, but Winfried’s idealism is really a species of conservatism – he values kindness, hospitality, human interaction and the dignity of the individual, all of which is, unintentionally, being put at risk by Generation X’s “pragmatic” embrace of free-market capitalism.

For me it doesn’t quite achieve “flawed masterpiece” status – I don’t know whether it’s the unevenness of the comedy, the absence of a traditional character arc, or uninspired cinematography. But still it improved on second viewing – I found more laugh-out-loud moments and I found some of the father-daughter scenes moving in spite of the kookiness of the characters and situations. And I like films that don't tie up all the loose ends - after all, real life doesn't tidy up after itself, so why should cinema?

Not Your Usual Comedy
- Toni Erdmann review by JB

(3) of (3) members found this review helpful.

You rated this film: 4

I was torn between 3 and 4 stars for this film. 3 because there were some slow parts, mostly dealing with business negotiations, that left me a bit bored; 4 because there are some brilliantly funny bits and because the film as a whole is strikingly original in concept and execution. I decided the 4 stars won out. Clearly the film bears no similarity to your typical Hollywood comedy. It bounces around between the comic, the mundane and the truly bizarre in a totally unpredictable fashion. Indeed, one thing I really liked about the film is that you never know where it is going. The film is about what is meaningful in life and in relationships, although it asks more than answers those questions. One might say that the bizarre twists of the film are allegories for the more normal twists and turns of one's own life. It's a film asking you to think about what is happening between the characters rather than a film with plot and action to entertain you.

Recent reviews by members

Tedious
- Toni Erdmann review by OP

(1) of (1) members found this review helpful.

You rated this film: 1

Unlike many of the reviewers I'm finding it hard to be generous about this film. I did like the quirky characters up to a point, but no way was it a comedy. I found it very long, slow and very disappointing

Slowwwww, and it does not speed up (spoilers - sort of)
- Toni Erdmann review by DT

(0) of (0) members found this review helpful.

You rated this film: 1

Watched it because of the overwhelmingly positive reviews, mainly from movie critics.

Review words like witty, wry, comedy, precision, deft, off-beat must have pushed my buttons and made me think "it's going to get going soon". In the last 40 minutes I resigned myself to "no it's not", and started hitting the fast forward button. When I got to the end, there was no "aha" moment in terms of comedy.

The humour is more like a 'grown up' Mr. Bean. Grown up in the sense that there are no banana peel moments, or even funny bits, just the embarrassing bits. The motivation of the daughter and the father are odd. Why did the father leave it until his daughter is in her 30's-40's to connect with her? Is his only comedy the insertion of his big fake teeth? Why would the daughter, on being surprised to find her father in the lobby at her work (wearing the false teeth) think it would be a good idea to invite him to the embassy where the customer she wants to impress is?

Guess what he turns up and is embarrassing.

Well the characters are kind of likeable in that they are not black or white. The dad is not the 'clown with the big wisdom' and the daughter is not the mindless capitalist. There is a kind of a story arc. The daughter starts to become less enamoured of her consultancy life, and even turns the tables on her dad in a couple of scenes. The film does ask the big questions: what is happiness, what is success, in a way that can come back to you after seeing the film. But the whole thing could have been condensed to twenty minutes.

I guess what makes it hard for me to suspend disbelief is that if the dad is such an odd-ball sage, and the daughter had grown up with him, she would never have chosen a cold corporate world; so his quick visit would not be the thing to snap her out of it. Not that it does entirely.

The bottom line is that if you find the film dull after half an hour, you'll still find it dull when you get to the end. Turn it off, and save yourself another 2 1/4 hours (enough time to watch something else). This is probably a good rule of thumb for all films that score over 90% on the tomatometer, and in the 70-80% range (or lower) for audience reviews. It is possible to find films that are good with those score combinations, but usually you will like them by the end of the first 30 minutes.

If you want to watch a funny German film watch Männer (Men). A cuckold moves in with his wife's lover, who does not know he is the husband. If you want a quirky German film watch Lola rennt (Run Lola Run), or the Princess and the Warrior.

All other members reviews

Off beat
- Toni Erdmann review by JH

A near-three hour German comedy that was always destined for some critical attention, given how unusual the setup and how good the performances.

Sandra Huller, so good in her role as the business-like emotionally-detached daughter, anxiously reacting to the sudden unannounced appearance of her father into her life, following the death of his beloved dog at the start of the film, seeking to restore their bond gone adrift - both characters actually seem rather lonely in themselves.

Simonischeck's father figure, and his alter-ego (the titular Toni) is quite the weapons-grade buffoon (thanks for that phrase, Empire), yet errs on the hilarious over irritating and never strays into the implausible.

There are a couple of scenes so awkward it's hard to watch (one of those does end on an emotional punch at least), but in general the script balances itself well between awkwardness, laugh-out-loud funny and genuine sadness without being mawkish or folding into cliche.

Definitely a slow burner, got to have some patience for the running time, and a bit of a mood piece but I found this surprisingly affecting and recalled several moments in the film days after seeing it. Recommended for those willing to look outside the box a bit.

Gone in a flash!
- Toni Erdmann review by Moonpie

(2) of (2) members found this review helpful.

You rated this film: 4

I saw the trailer, I read some reviews and was so glad that I didn't fall for the negative "dross", "paint drying", "boring" comments. This film was a joy to watch and will no doubt be talked about for years in my circle. The performances were brilliant and the timing superb. After all, "life is what happens when we're busy doing something else." If tittering is what you're looking for, stick to carry on. Toni Erdmann will not even register.

Rubbish
- Toni Erdmann review by BE

(1) of (3) members found this review helpful.

You rated this film: 1

Three hours of 'watching paint dry', thinking I must get a titter out of this somewhere along the line. Wrong! Anything less funny I've yet to see. After all the effusive reviews I had read regarding this movie, I'm left thinking 'the kings new clothes'?

Write your own review

Toni Erdmann Review

Toni Erdmann is awesome. An awesome blend of one-third comedy, one-third drama, half-a-third unusual German life story, and another half-a-third masterpiece. A masterpiece of cinema and narration, and I’m saying this without any exaggeration or hyperbolae. Matter of fact, when I come to think of hyperbolae, I also think of Toni Erdmann: in many ways, this film reminds audiences what it means to be human, to live, to err, and to err…laugh. That’s right, Toni Erdmann will make you laugh whilst making you cry as well; in fact, this little piece of celluloid tape will hit upon many emotions at once, many of which I bet you haven’t felt for a long, long time.

The film starts off slow, and keeps this pace all throughout, often featuring extended camera shots of lonely people just sitting, contemplating, and being at home with their thoughts. This may sound boring, and for some viewers it may be so, but it is done in a deliberate manner as to elicit that same emotion from viewers in the form of loneliness. In fact, loneliness may well be the central theme of the film, upon which everything else is based and stems from as well (who would’ve thought a given academic German household would feel that way?).

Further, Toni Erdmann features its fair share of bizarre, but NOT implausible scenes, which play along the central theme of the film whilst also grazing the surface of what could’ve been a deviation of the story’s norm (which unfortunately enough, does not happen). Still, Toni Erdmann plays its cards well, and utilises the actors (Sandra Hüller, Peter Simonischek, Michael Wittenborn, Trystan Pütter, Ingrid Bisu, and a plethora of others) to an extent where we feel the frustration they feel as well. When I come to think of it, Toni Erdmann is like a German version of Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, only with adults instead of children. Or in other words, Toni Erdmann is the Boyhood equivalent of German cinema.

In addition, where many have stumbled, Toni Erdmann has succeeded. I’m talking about its script, which is poignant enough without it being too sentimental, and is also free of clichés and other misfires that often happen to plague lesser indie comedy/dramas. Which inevitably brings us to its story: a father, sensing her daughter’s life starts getting devoid of happiness and the such, conjures up an exquisite alter ego character in order to bring that happiness back to her life. Hilarity (and sadness) ensues.

Toni Erdmann is not a film for everyone, but is a film for someone that much I can say. If you happen to like slow-burners with German speaking actors and a nice dramatic backdrop, go ahead and indulge yourself in the beauty that is Toni Erdmann. Also directed and penned by Maren Ade.

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